On Jan. 2, three wise men figurines traversed across my dining room drawing closer to the manger, where they were due to arrive on Jan. 6. That same day, I started and completed the first house project of 2015. I spent the whole of the afternoon and evening sanding and painting our white stair risers a smoky grey-blue. Unable to prolong 2014, forging ahead was all I knew to do. And doing one thing different seemed the best way to start.

Army Pvt. Leevoy Francis has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. Francis is the son of Patricia Francis of Evans and is a 2014 graduate of Greenbrier High School.

Air Force Airman Kristyna N. Vaughn graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas. Vaughn is the granddaughter of Gary Vaughan of New Britain, Conn and is a 2012 graduate of Evans High School.

Every year, during the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, dulcimer strummers get together at Mistletoe State Park for a weekend long jam.

Among the groups participating in the annual event are the Garden City Strummers, a local satellite of the North Georgia Foothills Dulcimer Association, which has approximately 20 satellites around Georgia and its border states.